Survival
Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS
and the CW network. I mean no infringement of any sort and am only using the
characters for personal enjoyment and for others to enjoy as
well!
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR LANGUAGE,
CONSENSUAL SEX, AND REFERENCES TO VIOLENCE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, SCRAM! IT IS
NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE READING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM!
I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!
This story is told from Catherine's POV, in the first person. May throw in
Vincent's POV down the line.
#---------
Chapter 4
"You're joking, right? This is just some sick joke you are playing on me. The
others are laughing their asses off right now, aren't they?" I asked shakily. He
had to be joking!
I heard him sigh. His hand tightened around mine again. His thumb began
stroking my hand, and I wondered if it was a conscious thing on his part.
"After the crash, I woke up outside. Somehow....I got ejected out of the bus.
I think....because we were in the back....that the door must have opened at some
point. I looked.....for what felt like hours. I looked for you, especially.
Because you were in the same seat, I hoped that you had gotten out the same way.
I....uh.....came across......several of the others. It wasn't a pretty
sight."
"What did you see?"
"You don't want to know. It would give you nightmares."
My eyes widened. "So, you don't know for sure that everyone is dead? I mean,
if we survived, odds are pretty good that others got out as well."
"If they did, I didn't find them. The ones I did find.......I wish I hadn't
seen what I saw."
"Who did you find?"
He was quiet for a minute. Finally, he said, "Evan and Claire, Gabe, Zach and
Ashley, and half a dozen more. They...uh.....were messed up pretty bad."
"And the rest? JT? Alex? Ms. Vargas? Mr. Bishop?"
"I don't know...."
Suddenly, I was angry. Angry and scared. "So.....we don't know if the others
are dead or alive, and I'm stuck here with you!"
Vincent tensed up. His voice was deeper as he said, "What's the matter,
sweetheart? Afraid to be alone with me?" His hand reached up, brushing my
cheek.
I recoiled back. "No......why would I be afraid to be alone with you?"
His words floated out in the darkness. "Just the two of us.....alone. Aren't
you afraid of what could happen?"
I was afraid........and that was the problem....
#---------------------
Apparently, Vincent had found me quite a ways away from the others. I had
been curled around a large tree stump, and at first glance, he had thought I was
dead. He had shook me repeatedly, until I had opened my eyes. It had still been
mostly light out at that point, and he had checked me for injuries, deeming me
moveable. He had then carried me for a time, until he had found the spot we
currently rested at.
According to him, I had gone in and out of consciousness several times, and
had spoken of several things that he wouldn't share with me. That alone upset
me, but he assured me it was nothing bad. Just some things from the past.
He had found several bags and we now had more food, water and clothes. Even a
tent. Vincent surprised me, telling me he had found our bags and that he had a
sleeping bag in his. That explained why his had looked so full. Vincent
had set up the tent and sleeping bag, placing our bags inside.
A small fire now burned between us, again courtesy of Vincent. He had been a
boy scout as a child, and I was thankful for his skills. Every so often, I would
feel his gaze on me, but I refused to look at him, instead watching the wood
snap and pop in the fire.
"In the morning, I'll go out again," I heard him say. For the first time
since he had started the fire, I looked up at him. I could just make him out
through the smoke of the fire.
"What good will it do? Do you want to get lost, too?"
Vincent scoffed. "Well, anything is better than staying here and rotting! The
food and water isn't going to last forever, ya know!"
I looked down, ashamed at myself. He was right. Staying here was death for
sure. We needed to find a way out of here.
I swallowed my pride. "You're right. I'm sorry...." I said quietly.
He chuckled. "Bet that about killed ya....."
I gave him a dark look that he couldn't see. "Ha, ha, ha......." I said
sarcastically.
"How are you feeling now? Any blurred vision? Headaches?"
"No, everything is okay now. I can see and understand everything fine."
He sighed. "Well, we should probably get some sleep then."
My eyes widened again. My heart began a strange fluttering in my chest.
"Together?"
"No, I thought I would take the sleeping bag and make you sleep on the hard
ground! Yes, together! What kind of an asshole do you think I am,
Catherine?" I heard the irritation in his voice.
I fought my smirk. "Do you really want that answer?" Silence followed, and I
thought for sure I had pushed him too far. "Uh.....Vincent?"
He appeared beside me, and I squealed. "Relax, Catherine. It's just me."
I hit his arm. "I know that! You just startled me."
He held out his hand, and helped me to my feet. "Do you.....uh......need
to..." he stuttered out. I looked at him, before it dawned on me.
"Oh! Uh......no! No, I'm good. I uh.......it's fine." How
embarrassing.....
His relief was plain. "Okay, let me help you to the tent then."
We walked to the tent, and he leaned down, unzipping the door. He helped me
inside. "Uh.....I'm gonna bank the fire. I'll give you a few minutes
to......change." He backed out the door.
Once he was gone, my breathing returned to normal. I changed as quickly as I
could, as I listened to his rustling sounds outside. The glow of the fire became
muted, and I saw his shadow approach the door a few minutes later. I sat
stiffly, waiting.
"Catherine? You decent?" he asked through the door.
I took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Yeah." A second later, the door
unzipped, and Vincent slipped inside. He rezipped it, and turned around slowly.
His gaze landed on me.
"Why aren't you lying down?" he asked.
"I...uh.....didn't know which side you wanted..." I said, realizing how
stupid it sounded.
Vincent chuckled again. "Pick the side you want. Doesn't matter to me."
I laid down on the right side in the bag, and watched as Vincent quickly
pulled his shirt over his head, his back to me. I dimly saw the muscles of his
back twist as he grabbed a light sweater, pulling it over his head. "I'm taking
off my jeans now, so if you don't want to get an eyeful...." he warned. My eyes
slammed shut and I listened to the sounds he made. I heard the fabric of his
jeans as he pulled them off. I heard him sigh and then I heard him pull on
something else, probably sweatpants.
He lifted a corner of the bag, and slipped in next to me. I froze as I felt
his leg brush against mine. "Relax, Catherine. Just go to sleep," he said
soothingly. I felt him turn on his side, so his back faced me. I turned the
other way, so our backs were to each other.
As I laid in the dark of the tent, listening to Vincent's breathing even out,
I realized something. Turning over, I shook Vincent's shoulder gently. His
breath caught for a second, before he said, "What?" sleepily.
"I just wanted to say.......if anyone had to find me out there.......I'm glad
it was you..."
Vincent was still for a moment, and then he surprised me. He reached back
with his hand, catching mine. He gave it a gentle squeeze, before pulling my
hand forward, so it was resting on his ribs.
I smiled and closed my eyes. Out of the darkness, I heard his soft
reply.....
"Me too....."
#---------
Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS
and the CW network. I mean no infringement of any sort and am only using the
characters for personal enjoyment and for others to enjoy as
well!
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR LANGUAGE,
CONSENSUAL SEX, AND REFERENCES TO VIOLENCE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, SCRAM! IT IS
NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE READING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM!
I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!
This story is told from Catherine's POV, in the first person. May throw in
Vincent's POV down the line.
#---------
Chapter 4
"You're joking, right? This is just some sick joke you are playing on me. The
others are laughing their asses off right now, aren't they?" I asked shakily. He
had to be joking!
I heard him sigh. His hand tightened around mine again. His thumb began
stroking my hand, and I wondered if it was a conscious thing on his part.
"After the crash, I woke up outside. Somehow....I got ejected out of the bus.
I think....because we were in the back....that the door must have opened at some
point. I looked.....for what felt like hours. I looked for you, especially.
Because you were in the same seat, I hoped that you had gotten out the same way.
I....uh.....came across......several of the others. It wasn't a pretty
sight."
"What did you see?"
"You don't want to know. It would give you nightmares."
My eyes widened. "So, you don't know for sure that everyone is dead? I mean,
if we survived, odds are pretty good that others got out as well."
"If they did, I didn't find them. The ones I did find.......I wish I hadn't
seen what I saw."
"Who did you find?"
He was quiet for a minute. Finally, he said, "Evan and Claire, Gabe, Zach and
Ashley, and half a dozen more. They...uh.....were messed up pretty bad."
"And the rest? JT? Alex? Ms. Vargas? Mr. Bishop?"
"I don't know...."
Suddenly, I was angry. Angry and scared. "So.....we don't know if the others
are dead or alive, and I'm stuck here with you!"
Vincent tensed up. His voice was deeper as he said, "What's the matter,
sweetheart? Afraid to be alone with me?" His hand reached up, brushing my
cheek.
I recoiled back. "No......why would I be afraid to be alone with you?"
His words floated out in the darkness. "Just the two of us.....alone. Aren't
you afraid of what could happen?"
I was afraid........and that was the problem....
#---------------------
Apparently, Vincent had found me quite a ways away from the others. I had
been curled around a large tree stump, and at first glance, he had thought I was
dead. He had shook me repeatedly, until I had opened my eyes. It had still been
mostly light out at that point, and he had checked me for injuries, deeming me
moveable. He had then carried me for a time, until he had found the spot we
currently rested at.
According to him, I had gone in and out of consciousness several times, and
had spoken of several things that he wouldn't share with me. That alone upset
me, but he assured me it was nothing bad. Just some things from the past.
He had found several bags and we now had more food, water and clothes. Even a
tent. Vincent surprised me, telling me he had found our bags and that he had a
sleeping bag in his. That explained why his had looked so full. Vincent
had set up the tent and sleeping bag, placing our bags inside.
A small fire now burned between us, again courtesy of Vincent. He had been a
boy scout as a child, and I was thankful for his skills. Every so often, I would
feel his gaze on me, but I refused to look at him, instead watching the wood
snap and pop in the fire.
"In the morning, I'll go out again," I heard him say. For the first time
since he had started the fire, I looked up at him. I could just make him out
through the smoke of the fire.
"What good will it do? Do you want to get lost, too?"
Vincent scoffed. "Well, anything is better than staying here and rotting! The
food and water isn't going to last forever, ya know!"
I looked down, ashamed at myself. He was right. Staying here was death for
sure. We needed to find a way out of here.
I swallowed my pride. "You're right. I'm sorry...." I said quietly.
He chuckled. "Bet that about killed ya....."
I gave him a dark look that he couldn't see. "Ha, ha, ha......." I said
sarcastically.
"How are you feeling now? Any blurred vision? Headaches?"
"No, everything is okay now. I can see and understand everything fine."
He sighed. "Well, we should probably get some sleep then."
My eyes widened again. My heart began a strange fluttering in my chest.
"Together?"
"No, I thought I would take the sleeping bag and make you sleep on the hard
ground! Yes, together! What kind of an asshole do you think I am,
Catherine?" I heard the irritation in his voice.
I fought my smirk. "Do you really want that answer?" Silence followed, and I
thought for sure I had pushed him too far. "Uh.....Vincent?"
He appeared beside me, and I squealed. "Relax, Catherine. It's just me."
I hit his arm. "I know that! You just startled me."
He held out his hand, and helped me to my feet. "Do you.....uh......need
to..." he stuttered out. I looked at him, before it dawned on me.
"Oh! Uh......no! No, I'm good. I uh.......it's fine." How
embarrassing.....
His relief was plain. "Okay, let me help you to the tent then."
We walked to the tent, and he leaned down, unzipping the door. He helped me
inside. "Uh.....I'm gonna bank the fire. I'll give you a few minutes
to......change." He backed out the door.
Once he was gone, my breathing returned to normal. I changed as quickly as I
could, as I listened to his rustling sounds outside. The glow of the fire became
muted, and I saw his shadow approach the door a few minutes later. I sat
stiffly, waiting.
"Catherine? You decent?" he asked through the door.
I took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Yeah." A second later, the door
unzipped, and Vincent slipped inside. He rezipped it, and turned around slowly.
His gaze landed on me.
"Why aren't you lying down?" he asked.
"I...uh.....didn't know which side you wanted..." I said, realizing how
stupid it sounded.
Vincent chuckled again. "Pick the side you want. Doesn't matter to me."
I laid down on the right side in the bag, and watched as Vincent quickly
pulled his shirt over his head, his back to me. I dimly saw the muscles of his
back twist as he grabbed a light sweater, pulling it over his head. "I'm taking
off my jeans now, so if you don't want to get an eyeful...." he warned. My eyes
slammed shut and I listened to the sounds he made. I heard the fabric of his
jeans as he pulled them off. I heard him sigh and then I heard him pull on
something else, probably sweatpants.
He lifted a corner of the bag, and slipped in next to me. I froze as I felt
his leg brush against mine. "Relax, Catherine. Just go to sleep," he said
soothingly. I felt him turn on his side, so his back faced me. I turned the
other way, so our backs were to each other.
As I laid in the dark of the tent, listening to Vincent's breathing even out,
I realized something. Turning over, I shook Vincent's shoulder gently. His
breath caught for a second, before he said, "What?" sleepily.
"I just wanted to say.......if anyone had to find me out there.......I'm glad
it was you..."
Vincent was still for a moment, and then he surprised me. He reached back
with his hand, catching mine. He gave it a gentle squeeze, before pulling my
hand forward, so it was resting on his ribs.
I smiled and closed my eyes. Out of the darkness, I heard his soft
reply.....
"Me too....."
#---------